According to a police report obtained by the Boston Herald, Edwin Alemany, 28, was spotted by officers two weeks later trying to sell his EBT card at a South Boston housing project.

Alemany was listed as the "offender" in that report, but never charged with a crime.

He is charged with assaulting two women in South Boston. The attacks happened about the same time Lord was kidnapped and stabbed to death last week.

Authorities stopped short of announcing an arrest, but they made it clear their focus in the Lord case is on Alemany.

Alemany's identification was also found at the scene of an attack on a woman who was walking in the city's Roxbury neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2012.

The woman told police she may have shaken the wallet free during a struggle with her assailant, but was only able to provide a vague physical description of the man.

It was the failure of the detective, Jerome Hall-Brewster, to arrest Alemany at the time that led to the disciplinary action taken Monday. The detective was demoted.

"After a review, I can announce that individual will no longer be doing investigations in city of Boston," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

Residents met with public safety officials Monday night as they for answers and reassurance after last week's brutal attacks.

"This could have been anyone of us -- anyone of us going to work, walking to your car, parking your car," one resident said.

"I believe Boston is one of the safest cities in America. One incident isn't going to ruin our reputation," Boston Mayor Tom Menino said. "We know who it is. We have the right individual. We just have to get more evidence to charge him."